Ludvig Åberg really hopes the 2026 Players Championship doesn’t end the same way as last year’s did. For one, rain forced the tournament to conclude on Monday, the second time in four years weather stretched the length of golf’s “fifth major.”
For another, that extension came in the form of a playoff to decide the championship, and if Åberg needs that to grab his first win at TPC Sawgrass, something untoward will have happened to the three-stroke lead he brought into the final round.
That something might come in the form of Matt Fitzpatrick. The 2022 U.S. Open champ came storming out of the gate with three birdies over the first four holes on Sunday, pulling even for the lead after 12 holes. He’s not the only one who could force a playoff with Åberg, with Robert MacIntyre and 24-year-old surprise Sudarshan Yellamaraju making charges on the final day as well. Cameron Young, Jacob Bridgeman, Xander Schauffele, Sepp Straka and 2021 Players champ Justin Thomas are also among the crowd in position to force a second straight playoff in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Watch The Players Championship live on Peacock
Rory McIlroy bested J.J. Spaun in a three-hole aggregate playoff to win the 2025 Players Championship. It was the second time the tournament used that format to break a tie after 72 holes and the first time it had done so in 10 years. Before that, The Players simply used a one-hole sudden-death format, starting of course at No. 17 and its legendary “island green.”
Players Championship playoff format
In case of a tie after 72 holes, a three-hole playoff between the leaders will decide the champion. The leaders will play Nos. 16, 17 and 18 with the lowest aggregate score determining the winner. If there is still a tie, players will go to sudden death at the 17th. If the tie remains, the sudden-death hole moves to the 18th, then returns to the 16th, 17th and 18th as needed until there is a winner.
Players Championship playoff history
Until 2014, The Players Championship utilized a one-hole sudden-death playoff to break a tie after the final round. Here’s a look back at previous playoffs at TPC Sawgrass.
How to watch The Players
Round 4 of The Players Championship 2026 will broadcast nationally on NBC. TV coverage will air from 1-6 p.m. and can be streamed on Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service. Featured group and hole streaming from PGA Tour Live is available on the ESPN app with a subscription to the Select plan.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: What is The Players Championship playoff format? Here’s how it works
Reporting by Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
